Method of and apparatus for making pile-surfaced sheets



A. F. MESTON Nov. 19 1940.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FILE-SURFACED SHEETS Filed Dec. 11, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gum/Wm.- haw/5777224 Nam' 19, 1940. E 9 2,222,539

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FILE-SURFACED SHEETS Filed Dec. 11, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gummy.

Patented Nov. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING PILE- SURFACED I SHEETS Application December 11, 1934, Serial No. 757,028

15 Claims.

This invention relates to material in sheet form characterized by having particles of small size integrally associated with a surface of the material. More in particular .the invention has to do with a 6 sheet comprised of relatively thin, flexible material and a simulated pile of attenuated fibers integrally attached to the flexible material, and a method of making the piled sheet.

Apparatus and methods have been invented for producing simulated pile fabrics wherein an adhesive covered surface is placed in an electric field and attenuated fibers such as rayon flocks are carried into the electric field and electrically deposited in oriented position on the adhesive covered surface. Heretofore, in making simulated piled fabric materials, the adhesive is spread over a base of fabric, paper or other material and this base becomes a constituent of the products.

Products thus formed and. constituted have proven too heavy or stiff for some of the purposes for which they have been intended. The addition of a base element to the product has added appreciably to the cost, also.

In the present invention, the adhesive is spread over the surface of a base member only during periods of attaching the fibers and drying and/or toughening the adhesive. The dried adhesive is then removed from the base member as a thin sheet with fibers attached, as a pile, on a surface of the sheet. The base member is again coated with adhesive for making additional product. Adhesives with different characteristics can be variously applied to the base surface and the products will differ correspondingly as to weight, 35' flexibility, transparency and other properties.

The preferred product is a thin, flexible, sheet of appreciable tensile strength which is piled with the density of fibers desired and which can be readily attached to surfaces with well known adhesives.

An object of the invention is to produce material as a homogeneous or integral sheet with a piled surface, and having the valuable decorative and constructive properties of velvet type fabrics.

Another object is to produce a thin, tough, flexible sheet with a piled surface which can be attached by adhesives or otherwise to the surfaces of walls and other objects for the purpose of decorating the surfaces.

Another object is to produce, at low cost, a piled surface with a very light backing that can be attached to simple fabrics and similar materials thereby giving such materials a rich appearance, added strength, and other desirable properties without adding greatly to the weight or 90st of the materials or appreciably decreasing their flexibility.

Still another object is to produce a thin water proof and water tight sheet material that simulates fabrics in appearance and/or other physical 5 properties.

A further object is to provide a method for forming a sheet product of the type described, stripping the sheet material from the surface upon which it was made and immediately attach- :0 ing it to another surface.

The apparatus and procedure used in realizing the above mentioned and other objects will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying partially diagrammatic drawings 15 in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view, in sectional elevation, of apparatus for carrying out the method and making the product of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of apparatus for stripping the product from the carrier surface upon which it is formed and preparing it for storage;

Fig. 3 is a side view, in elevation, of apparatus for applying the product as a coating immediately after it is stripped from the carrier surface;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the product to illustrate the deposition of the particles comprising the pile;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the back of a portion of the product when reinforced by open mesh fabric; and

Fig. 6 is a side view of the object shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 1, member I is an electrode, grounded at I, upon which terminate the lines of force of the electric field that deposits the fibers constituting the pile of the product. The opposing or complementary electrode upon which the other end of the field terminates is shown at 2. Electrode 2 is supported by members 3, 4 and 5 and insulating members, not shown, so that it can be maintained at high potential, with respect to ground, when connected to a source of high potential power by means of conductor ii. The just described assembly is positioned in any enclosure or casing 1, preferably made, at least in part, of transparent insulating material such as glass. The horizontal supporting member 5, suitably insulated, passes through wall 8 of casing 1 and one end of member 5 is connected to a source of high potential power as diagrammatically indicated at B.

An endless belt 9 passing over electrode 2, and further positioned by pulleys l0, ll and I2, is used 55 to move the attenuated particles for forming the pile of the product into the electrical field.

The flocks or other particles are introduced at controlled opening l3 and are blown by fan I4 through passage l5 into the space above pulley I 0. Most of the particles fall on belt'9 but some may be carried into the electric field in suspension in the gas streamwhich is kept in motion by fan l4,

especially if the gas velocity set up by the fan is high. The particles are lifted from belt 9 when under electrode I by the electric forces acting be: Particles which are not guided and positioned by bearing 2| and solenoid member 23. A spring 22 holds the electrode down on movable carrier 24 thus tensioning the latter. Solenoid 23 periodically reciprocates rod 20 to give a hammer motion to electrode'l and:

bring about a jarring ofbelt 24. Belt 24 is the carrier upon which the product is formed. It is preferably an endless belt of conducting material,

although it need not be, and is held in position i and moved by pulleys 25, 26, 21 and 26. When of metal or other electrically conducting material, the face of the carrier is, of course, at the same potential as electrode I over which it passes and really constitutes the electrode upon which the lines of force terminate. It is convenient, however, to call member the electrode and refer to member 24 as a surface positioned adjacent the electrode.

Preparatory to coating the carrier with the adhesive that comprises the product the carrier is 3 cleaned of adhering matter by scraper 29 and moved under applicator 30 to receive a lubricant or other separating coating to make the separation or stripping stem, to be later described, easy of accomplishment. 4

Basin 3| holds the material, commonly an air drying plastic with the properties of an adhesive,

4 that comprises an important part of the product and rolls 32 and 33 apply this material to carrier 24 in the manner well known in the coating art.

1 Doctor knife 34 is set to control the final depth 1 of material before it enters the electric field be- 1 tween'electrodes I and 2 for deposition of pile.

heated by element 36 across, the face of the prodfrom the adhesive material.

Heater 31 applies heat to the coated carrier from the back of the carrier and chamber 35 directs air uct thereby evaporating and carrying ofl' solvents Chamber 38 is another heatingor conditioning device for further drying, polymerizing or otherwise toughening the 3 piled coating on carrier 24. At roll 21, a separating knife 46 separates the product from the surface of carrier 24.

The separated product as indicated at 4| is assembled as a roll 43 or otherwise disposed of, but it has been found advisable before storing or using the product to gently agitate and brush it of poorly attached fibers. A vacuum cleaner unit as indicated at 42 is very useful for this purpose. I

Where the stripped off product 4| is to be api plied immediately to a surface in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3, for instance, the under surface (not piled) can be left slightly moist and isticky; but where the product is to be rolled or stacked upon itself for later use, the under surface that has just been exposed by separator 40 is preferably dried further by drier 38;

In Fig. 2, edge 40 is for assuring the separation I of product 4| from carrier 24 as the latter turns on pulley 21. Edge 40 is preferably a flexible member that extends across the face of carrier 24 and is supported against the surface of the carrier by aplurality of lever means 39, only one of which is indicated, a spring 45 exerting a controllable pressure on each lever 39. A drying chamber 36' to augment drier 38 has been found useful and. sometimes necessary when the adhesive contains slowv drying plasticizers. The under (unpiled) side of the product is seldom dried sufficiently when it is separated from carrier belt 24 especially if the latter is impervious and does not permit solvent vapors to pass from the product through the belt. Drier 38' -is adapted to dry the newly exposed under side of the product. .The unpiled surface may be dusted with soapstone, bentonite dust, starch, or some other powdered material as a precaution against this surface retaining a sticky condition and means 48 comprises a duster for this purpose.

Referring further to Fig. 2, rolls 46 and 41 are provided in order that the product may be pulled evenly from the carrier belt 24 as shown. Pulley 46 has a fiat surface that contacts the product 4| over its entire width but pulley 41 is cut away between the ends so that only the selvages are gripped between rolls 41 and 46 and the fibers of the pile can extend up into the recess in pulley 41 in upright position. Ordinarily the surface contact of pulley 46 is sufficient to provide the necessary tension in strip 4| but if the product does slip on pulley 46, pulley 41 is pressed down upon the selvages of the material to provide a positive grip thereon. The finished product is wound upon itself as shown at 43, spacing strips 49 being preferably wound into the roll at the selvages to prevent crushing of the pile. The several pulleys and rolls comprising the apparatus, especially members 21, 46 and 43 are turned in proper relationship in the manner known in the coating and other processing arts so that the tension in the various belts and strips is suitable for carrying out the method herein described.

Fig. 3 illustrates apparatus that has been found useful in attaching the product immediately after it is formed to sheet surfaces. The product shown as a piled sheet 4| immediately after it is stripped from carrier 24 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is contacted with another sheet indicated at 5|. When necessary, the sheet to be coated with over a heated pulley while being pressed against sheet 4|.

Pulley 56 utilizes a perforated pipe 51 as a shaft, the hollow shaft functioning as a gas burner with many small jets 58. Extended space for air cooling need not be provided if means such as air jets 53 are used to cool the composite product leaving heated pulley 56. Very good results are obtained with thermo-plastic adhesives with this embodiment of the invention; and with an extension of the heating period, rubber cements are satisfactorily vulcanized in this manner.

The step just described has been found of great value in coating open work fabrics. To directly coat a fabric with a pile in the manner heretofore described, it is usually necessary to surface coat the fabric with a filler before the adhesive that is to hold the pile is applied. If this is not done, a very great amount of adhesive is taken up by the fabric and the resulting product is apt to be heavy, stiff and expensive. With the present invention, the pile is first incorporated into a thin, fiexible, relatively inexpensive .base and this product in dried or semi-dried condition is applied directly to the fabric to be given a piled surface, for instance, to a woolen cloth to be used in the manufacture of rain coats.

A particular characteristic of the product of the invention is the strength given the adhesive upon drying by the flock or other fibers used in forming the desired pile. In Fig. 4, a portion of product lil is shown in an exaggerated manner. The adhesive is represented at 62, fibers in reclining position are shown at 63 and upright fibers are shown at 64. It is diflicult to make all the fibers deposited upon an adhesive covered surface by electrical means stand erect. The first fibers to touch the adhesive usually bend over and become embedded more or less lengthwise in the adhesive as indicated at 63. If the electric field is very strong and especially if a. corona discharge is present, quite a few of the fibers lie fiatwise on the surface of the adhesive while the first few are being deposited perpendicular to the surface as indicated at 64. The reclining fibers do not make for a satisfactory pile per se, but they do reinforce and strengthen the adhesive as it dries and make for a desirable product of the kind herein described. From about one to ten percent of the fibers recline, depending upon the strength of the electric field, and other more or less controllable conditions of deposition, and these fibers are well hidden by the erect fibers constituting the pile proper. So advantage is taken of the strengthening effect of the reclining fibers without incurring loss in the appearance of the product.

Reinforcing fibers may be separately deposited, either electrically or mechanically, on either side of the adhesive layer before electrically depositing-the pile-forming flock, or reinforcing fibers may be added to the adhesive substance before it is formed into a layer, for example by admixing fibers with the adhesive in container 3!.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the product as reinforced in strength by having a net or open fabric ll attached to the unpiled surface. The net adds but little to the cost and detracts but little from the flexibility of the product, but it does add appreciably to the strength of the sheet.

The reinforcing net may be associated with the adhesive layer, for example by feeding a web of net material between roll 33 and carrier 24 in the apparatus of Fig. 1, or it may be associated with the adhesive layer after stripping from carrier 24, similarly to the application of backing layer 5! in Fig. 3.

Two sheets of the product can be joined back to back giving a material having a pile on both surfaces. Walls can be papered with the sheeted material described and when made with stretchable material it can be pulled tightly over irregular surfaces while being applied. Where a. surface can be maintained at constant potential, as grounded, the sheeted product can be applied to that surface by placing an electrode energized from a high voltage direct current source in front of the sheet. The sheet will take up a charge of electricity and be attracted to the surface to be covered. Many other uses and applications of the product of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description of the invention.

The following is an illustrative example of the method of operation of this invention. Electrodes I and 2 are separated from 2 to 4 inches and electrode 2 is connected to a source of unidirectional current at from to 40 kilovolts, the voltage to be regulated so that there is no likelihood of sparking between the electrodes. Belt 24 of smooth brass which has been cleaned thoroughly is put in motion by'pulleys 25 and 21, coated with a thin film of gelatine by applicator 30, then spread with coating wheel 33 with an adhesive made up of cellulose derivatives, plasticizers, and solvents (for example, a coating material used for forming artificial leather), and this is smoothed out by doctor knife 34 to a depth of .03 inch. The speed of belt 24 may be from 1 to 6 feet per minute depending on conditions and the mass of pile desired. Belt 9 is made to revolve at a speed several times faster than belt 24, fan i4 is started and rayon flocks approximately inch in length are introduced at l3. Heaters 36 and 31 are put in operation as is the blower, not shown, which forces air through duct 35. Heaters 38 and 38' are put in operation in due time as required. The other operations for completing the formation of the product are as previously described.

A wide range of. adhesive substances may be used as the base of the pile-surfaced sheet of the invention; for example, compositions which harden by drying or evaporation, such as solutions of cellulose derivatives, natural and synthetic resins, and other plastic materials in organic or aqueous solvents; compositions which harden by the action of heat, such as those containing the heat reactive phenol-formaldehyde and glycerol-phthalic anhydride resins; compositions which harden by cooling, such as those containing vinyl resins; compositions which harden by absorption of oxygen, such as those containing air-drying oils; compositions which harden upon chemical treatment, such as viscose; and compositions which may be hardened by vulcanization, such as those containing rubber.

The terms indurating and indurated are used herein to denote broadly the various hardening, toughening, drying, setting or curing'processes used in the arts.

I claim:

1. A method of making a sheet material having a piled surface which comprises forming a layer of an adhesive substance upon a supporting surface, electrically depositing attenuated particles in erect position on said layer, indurating said layer and stripping the layer from the supporting surface.

2. A method of making a sheet material which comprises forming a layer of a hardenable plastic composition upon a supporting surface, depositing attenuated particles on said layer by means of an electrical field, indurating said layer and stripping the layer from the supporting surface.

3. A method of making a sheet material which comprises forming a layer of a hardenable plastic composition upon a supporting surface, depositing attenuated particles on said layer by meansof an electrical field, indurating said layer, stripping the layer from the supporting surface and attaching said layer to a layer of backing material.

4. A method of making a sheet material which comprises forming a layer of a hardenable cellulosic composition upon a supporting surface, depositing attenuated particles on .said layer by means of anelectrical field, indurating said layer and stripping the layer from the supporting surface.

5. A method of making a sheet material which comprises forming a layer of a hardenable plastic composition upon a supporting surface, depositing textile fibers on said layer by.means of an electrical field, indurating said layer and stripping the layer from the supporting surface.

6. A method of making a sheet material which comprises forming a layer of a hardenable cellulosic composition upon a supporting surface, depositing rayon fiock on said layer by means of an electrical field, indurating said layer and stripping the layer from the supporting surface. '7. A method of making sheet material having a piled surface which comprises forming a layer of an adhesive substance upon a supporting sur-. face, electrically depositing attenuated particles in erect position on said layer, indurating said layer sufiiciently to permit stripping of said layer from said surface, stripping said layer from said surface and further indurating the layer.

8. A method of making a sheet material having a piled surface which comprises forming a layer of an adhesive substance upon a supporting surface, electrically depositing attenuated particles in erect position on said layer, indurating said layer sufiiciently to permit stripping of said layer from said surface, stripping said layer from said surface, associating a reinforcing material with said layer and further indurating the product thus formed.

9. A method of making an extended strip of sheet material having a piled surface which comprises continuously forming a layer of an adhesive substance upon a supporting surface, electrically depositing attenuated particles in erect position onsaid layer, indurating said layer and removing the layer fromthe supporting surface in a continuous strip of extended length.

10. A method of making an extended strip of sheet material having a pile'd surface which comprises continuously forming a layer of a hardenable plastic composition upon a supporting surface, electrically depositing attenuated particles supporting surface, passing said surface through an electrical field while supplying pile-forming fibers into said field, indurating the adhesive layer and stripping the indurated layer from the supporting surface.

12; Apparatus for making sheet material having a pile surface, comprising a pair of opposed electrode members, means for maintaining an electrical field between said electrode members, supporting surface members movable through said electrical ,field adjacent each of said electrode members, means for supplying a layerof adhesive composition upon one of said supporting surface members, means for moving both of said supporting surface members through said electrical field and means forsupplylng plle-formin materials to said electrical field.

13. Apparatus for making sheet materiaLhaving a pile surface, comprising a pair of opposed electrode members, means for maintaining an electrical field between said electrode members, supporting surface members movable through said electrical field adjacent each of said electrode members, means for applying a layer of adhesivecomposition to one of said supporting surface members before it passes into the electrical field, means for indurating said adhesive layer after it leaves the electrical field, means for stripping the indurated adhesive layer from the supporting member, and means for supplying pile-forming materials to the electrical field.

14. Apparatus for making sheet material having'a pile surface, comprising a pair of opposed electrode members, means for maintaining an electrical field between saidelectrode members, supporting surface members movable through said electrical field adjacent each of said electrode members, means for applying a layer of adhesive composition to one of said supporting surface members before it passes into the electrical field, means for indurating said adhesive layer after it leaves the electrical field, means for stripping the indurated adhesive layer from the supporting member, means for further indurating said adhesive layer after stripping, and means for supplying pile-forming materials'to the electrical field.

15. A method of making an extended strip of sheet material having a piled surface which comprises continuously forming a layer of an adhesive substance upon .a supporting surface, electrically depositing reinforcing fibers upon said layer, electrically depositing pile-forming fibers in erect position on said layer, indurating said layer and removing the layer from the supporting surface in a continuous. strip of extended length.

ARCHIBALD F. MESTON. 

